Windows 7 Tutorial

Turn off / disable the firewall in Windows 7

By default, Windows 7 comes with full security turned on: this includes having the Windows firewall automatically enabled, and protecting your PC from various threats. But you may want to use your own, third-party firewall software, in which case it may be better to turn off and disable the Windows firewall altogether, to avoid conflicts and have one firewall interfere with the other (which in some cases could end up making your computer less safe). In this tutorial, we will explain how to turn off the firewall, and how to turn it back on later on; note that we do not recommend having a disabled firewall except if you have another firewall running, or for PCs that never go online.

 

Turn off the Windows firewall in Windows 7

Follow these steps to disable the built-in firewall:

Warning: Remember that this setting will remain in place until you manually change it back: in other words, be very careful when joining a new network to classify it properly: if you have turned off the Windows Firewall for home networks (private network), and you mistakenly join a public network as a private one, you will not be protected! 

Turn back on the Windows Firewall

To switch back on the firewall for either or both network types, just follow the same steps explained earlier, and make your changes. As a general rule, it is better to be on the safe side and give too much importance to Windows security than to take potentially very damaging risks - the Windows Firewall works best, and in tandem with a well established and up-to-date antivirus software solution.

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